


Darth Vader's Love Language Is Action

by Sm0lAvidReader, Vox_Panica_48



Series: SW: Dad Jokes and Similar Shenanigans [4]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Darth Vader Trying To Be a Good Dad, Family Feels, Fluff and Crack, Gen, Gift Giving, Mentioned Padmé Amidala, Self-Indulgent, Social Media, Space Amazon, Tad bit of sadness
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-20
Updated: 2020-12-20
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:28:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28185405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sm0lAvidReader/pseuds/Sm0lAvidReader, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vox_Panica_48/pseuds/Vox_Panica_48
Summary: Words are not Darth Vader’s strong suit. He finds other ways to show Luke that he cares. Thank goodness Shiraya Shipping exists because Dad Vader is on a mission to make up for lost time.
Relationships: Luke Skywalker & Darth Vader
Series: SW: Dad Jokes and Similar Shenanigans [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2022440
Comments: 4
Kudos: 83





	Darth Vader's Love Language Is Action

**Author's Note:**

> Context: Following Chapter 2 of I Find Your Lack of DM's Disturbing.
> 
> Reference:  
> DarthFather501 (DF) = Darth Vader  
> LittleStarR5 (LS) = Luke Skywalker  
> *text*= Description and no longer messages

Darth Vader was pacing around his office. There was a datapad lying on a desk with the page for Shiraya Shipping loaded. It read:

‘Shiraya Shipping! Our wings reach across the stars! How may we help you today?’

‘Warning: Injured workers results in the wrath of the goddess, please keep this in mind when selecting our services.’

‘Sign up for package notifications! No more wondering when and where!’

The Sith Lord’s current dilemma had to do with his son, Luke. His Little Star was owed an apology for Cloud City but simply typing the word “sorry” wasn’t good enough. It was too empty. Thus, Vader had come up with the idea of accompanying a carefully crafted apology with a gift. 

He had spent some time deliberating on the gift but it became apparent only one would do after their latest conversation. He had wasted no time in shipping the gift off and creating a way to securely call Luke while leaving Sideous unawares. They could only contact each other this way once, maybe twice, and very carefully.

Darth Vader spent the waiting period preparing everything he wanted to tell his son. It was beyond painful to dredge up the memories of his past after pushing them down for so long. As soon as he faltered, he reminded himself that Luke wanted to know. His son deserved to know about how strong Padme was. Luke deserved to know how much she would have loved him. He deserved his mother alive but since Vader could not give his son this, he would give Luke her memory to be kept close. The Sith Lord was not the best at words but he promised himself to describe every detail.

Shiraya Shipping had notified him that the package was due to arrive very soon. This led to Darth Vader’s current nervous (he wouldn’t admit) pacing. 

Since making an account, Admiral Piett had brought him up to date with a few of the finer aspects of using Spacebook’s hypertext function. It was time to use all of that knowledge to contact his son. He couldn’t put it off for much longer.

**Spacebook DMs**

DarthFather501: Luke, I have something to inform you about.

LittleStarR5: Ok. Go ahead.

DF: I have sent you an important package. It should be arriving soon.

LS: Is it from Shiraya Shipping? What is it?

DF: Little Star, I have been meaning to apologize 👉 👈 . I never intended to injure you in the manner that I did. I am deeply sorry. Inside the package, you will find a holo of your mother and a container of flowers from the Shiranaa Tree, a species native to Naboo and one that was special to your mother. If you would like, we could call now and I can tell you everything you want to know.

LS: I think I can forgive you for Bespin. That doesn’t mean that I am not still upset about my hand but it was my decision to fight you. I don’t know if I can forgive you for everything else that’s happened between us just yet. 

DF: I accept your decision even if you decide to never forgive me.

*Luke reverently opens the package. Besides her name, this is the first real piece of his mother and her culture. First, he cradles the flowers and examines them in the see-through container. A note informs him that they are permanently preserved as long as he keeps it closed. Luke then carefully sets the flowers down beside him and picks up the holo in exchange. He turns it on and spends a few breathless moments dedicated to absorbing the image.*

LS: She’s beautiful. I’m free to call now. Could you tell me about her? 🥺

DF: As you wish.

 **Secure Holo** **Call**

Darth Vader immediately began with “The first time I met Padme I mistook her for an Angel.” 

He explained everything from the Tatooine Podrace, to their secret marriage, to the joyful day of finding out they were expecting, and finally to the last time Anakin Skywalker had laid eyes on Padme Amidala. 

“The last time I saw your mother she was still pregnant with you. I am ashamed to say that I doubted her and in my rage, I hurt her. I was told by the Emperor that my actions had killed her and our child as well. It is now apparent that this is not the truth. She passed on but I have yet to learn how.”

Luke spent the entire call sitting cross-legged, listening to his father with rapt attention. He was silent for a few moments after Darth Vader had finished the tale. Luke didn’t quite know how to feel about the fact that his heavily pregnant mother had been hurt by her husband. However, Luke was certain that Vader was filled with regret and pain thinking about that moment. The vocoder couldn’t disguise it and neither could their bond. His father felt sharper than normal. This time the Sith’s force presence was tightly wound around himself and tinged with self-loathing. Luke refused to add to that pain.

“Thank you. Might I ask one more question before we end the call?”

“Certainly, young one.”

“What is the meaning of the Shiranaa flowers and why were they important to mother?”

“The Shiranaa tree was dedicated to your mother’s patron goddess, Shiraya. The flowers are to celebrate new life. We never got to celebrate your birth but Padme would have insisted.”

“Thank you again. Goodbye for now.”

“Goodbye for now. Sleep well, my son.”

**With Vader**

It had been a long few hours but it was worth it. Every moment he got to spend interacting with Luke was a blessing. _You would have been a much better parent, Angel. I am sorry. Both of you deserved better than me._

**With Luke**

Luke fell asleep that night holding the holo of his mother. The flowers had been placed next to the Rogue squadron’s gift basket and Bigg’s memory box.

Luke had learned so much today, good and bad. It was getting easier and easier to believe that the Sith actually cared. Maybe in time, he could forgive his father completely. Maybe they could have a casual relationship and Luke would one day want to address Darth Vader as Father. For now, that future was made of little more than hope but Luke had always been good at having hope. The two still had much to talk about before that hope had a chance of becoming reality.

**Author's Note:**

> Just to let you know, Luke took a few minutes to die over the fact that Darth Vader used emojis in his apology before he responded.
> 
> As always we thank the New SW Canon discord members for being amazing enablers. Besides the Shiranaa Flowers, every similarity between this chapter and Jackdaw_Kraii's wonderful Guides Verse was a happy accident. We consider our work a tribute to our Sith/Jedi Master Jack who is wise in the ways of Vader and Luke fluff.


End file.
